


Study Sessions

by Cinaed



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, Friendship, M/M, Pre-Slash, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-07-25
Updated: 2007-07-25
Packaged: 2017-10-08 03:34:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/72274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinaed/pseuds/Cinaed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How had Rodney forgotten his family was crazy?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Study Sessions

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shewhoguards](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shewhoguards/gifts).



> A teenagers AU.

God, Rodney really should've known this was going to be a disaster. Honestly, how did the fact that his family are all weirdos escape his mind, even for a second? 

"Mom," he said through gritted teeth, and then louder. "_Mom_. Quit staring at him." 

His mother kept gawking, her mouth still pursed in this creepily delighted smile, and then she blinked and let out a soft, embarrassed laugh. "Oh, I'm sorry. Come in, dear. Would you like some cookies? I only have oatmeal raisin, but if you'd like some chocolate chip cookies, I can bake some--"

"Mom!" Rodney resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands or maybe drag Radek from his doorstep and back to the safe, mostly sane world. "Christ, it's not like I've never had people over before." Okay, so that wasn't actually true. It wasn't like she was going to correct him in front of the first person he'd brought home, ever. 

"Language," his mother said sharply, and then went back to smiling at Radek as Rodney rolled his eyes. "Please, dear, make yourself comfortable. Would you two like to watch television?" 

"He's just here for a study session, Mom," Rodney said, annoyed, because did his mother think Radek was his friend or something? The guy was _weird_, and that was saying something. He'd actually replaced Rodney as the freak of the class, with his thick accent, enormous glasses that swallowed up his face, and the fact that his hair looked like he'd been hit by lightning. And okay, actually, maybe he and Rodney were tied for king of the losers, because Rodney had overheard April Bingham say something about how Radek could "sort of be cute if he lost the glasses and combed his hair once in a while, maybe, I guess." Then again, April had kissed Rodney three months ago, so maybe April just had a thing for underdogs. 

"Of course he is, sweetheart," his mother said, obviously placating him, and then actually wrapped an arm around Radek's shoulders and drew him into the house. 

Radek shot him a bewildered, questioning look as he was led inside and Rodney waved a hand as if to say, "Mothers." Still, he couldn't help but wonder if Radek's mother would have eyed him like he was the next Messiah. He shuddered a little at the thought, picturing a plump woman with Radek's blue eyes and scarecrow hair looking at him like he was a particularly fine piece of meat. 

"That's it," he muttered, following his mother and Radek inside. "Next time, we study at the library." 

*

"Did Stearn mention if we needed to know about Hamiltonian mechanics?" Rodney asked, frowning at his book, and Radek shrugged. Truth be told, he often had trouble following Stearn, who spoke too quickly for Radek to understand him and refused to repeat himself. 

"I think he did, but I am not sure," he said, and then got to his feet. "I am going to get some juice. Do you want some?" When Rodney just shook his head, Radek headed into the kitchen. He had just opened the refrigerator door when he felt someone's gaze on the back of his head. He turned and blinked at the scowling little girl who watched with him with wide, suspicious eyes. 

"Why are you here?" she demanded, and Radek blinked. 

"I was thirsty?" he said uncertainly even as her scowl deepened. 

"I mean, why are you _here_?" she said, rolling her eyes in the same way Rodney did when someone was missing the point. She even folded her arms against her chest and huffed a little, as Rodney did when he was especially annoyed. "No one likes Mer." 

Radek very much felt like he _was_ missing the point, and had the sudden urge to rub at the spot between his eyes, where he could feel a headache beginning to form. "Who is Mer?" 

"My brother," she said and rolled her eyes again. "Look, just 'cause he's smart doesn't mean he'll let you cheat off him. Okay, he's probably desperate since no one likes him and you're actually willing to come to our house, but _still_. You hurt him and you'll regret it." 

Radek stared. The girl couldn't be any older than seven or eight, but she was glaring so fiercely at him that he believed that he'd regret hurting Rodney. Not that he'd even been thinking of doing anything of the sort, of course. "We are just studying," he said after a moment. "No cheating." 

The little girl eyed him for a moment, disbelief naked on her face, and she opened her mouth to say something else, probably another threat.

"Jeannie dear, there you are!" Rodney's mother swept into the room and laughed even as the little girl's expression switched to one of brittle politeness. "I thought we agreed to let Rodney and his friend have some privacy." 

"I was just getting some juice," Jeannie said, suddenly all innocent blue eyes and soft voice. She moved up next to him and muttered, voice soft and stern, "Don't hurt Mer." 

He just blinked at her, the headache gaining strength. Really, next time he would have to ask Rodney if they could go to his house instead. At least his brother and sister did not _threaten_ people. It was as though Jeannie thought he was planning on, on breaking Rodney's heart or something equally ridiculous. Radek mentally snorted. Besides, the idea of him needing to cheat off Rodney was laughable, at best. 

When he went back into the living room, Rodney blinked at him. "Thought you were getting a drink," he commented, and Radek shrugged. 

"Am not thirsty," he said, and then got comfortable on the couch next to the other boy. "So- Hamiltonian mechanics." 

"Right, right," Rodney muttered, and together they bent over Rodney's book and began to read. After a moment though, Rodney raised an eyebrow. "What's with the weird look?" 

Radek blinked, realizing he'd been staring at Rodney rather than the book, and flushed a little. "Oh, sorry. Is just-- your family is strange." 

Rodney snorted at that. "Well, obviously. Did you just now notice this?" 

"Your sister threatened me like, like I was going to break your heart," Radek exclaimed, bristling a little at Rodney's snort and implication that he was slow on the uptake. "Like--" 

"Like you were going to break my heart?" Rodney repeated, voice now high and incredulous. "I don't have a crush-- we're just studying-- we're not even _friends_!"

It was Radek's turn to snort. "Yes, yes, I know. Besides, I do not like you either. You are too noisy." 

"Excuse me? At least I comb my hair!" Rodney snapped, and Radek glared at him. "And I happen to like girls, thank you very much!" 

Radek snorted. "Please. I see how you look at Matthew Black."

Splotches of rage or maybe embarrassment appeared on Rodney's cheeks and he sputtered for a moment before he finally said, "Yes, well, _everyone_ looks at Matthew Black."

Radek opened his mouth to argue, and then paused. Well, he supposed Rodney had a point. After a moment, he shrugged. "Still. You look."

The redness spread to Rodney's ears and he just sputtered for a few more seconds before he sagged and rested his head in his hands. "Don't tell anyone, or I will make your life a living hell," he finally muttered, but his voice trembled as he said it, and it wasn't half as convincing as Jeannie's threat. 

"I would not," Radek said, a little indignant, because did Rodney really think he would be so childish and petty as to let slip that Rodney liked boys as well as girls? He poked Rodney hard in the shoulder, suddenly exhausted and half-disgusted, because really, this was not how he'd expected their study session to go. "Come on, we should study." 

Rodney looked up at that, some of the redness fading from his cheeks. "You're not going to tell anyone?" he said, and Radek frowned at the incredulous note in his voice. 

"Why would I?" Radek said impatiently. "Is pointless and cruel, and besides, besides--" He took a deep breath, plunged on recklessly. "--besides, I look too."

Rodney blinked. "Oh," he said, in an entirely different tone of voice, and then his eyes widened. "_Oh_. Huh. Well, I didn't notice you--" He faltered at Radek's raised eyebrow. "Right. So, uh, studying?"

"Studying, yes," Radek said, and pointedly bent over the book once more, ignoring the prickling on the back of his neck that meant Rodney was staring at him. After a long moment, the prickling sensation eased, and then Rodney's shoulder brushed his, and Rodney murmured, words a puff of breath against Radek's ear, "I've always liked Hamiltonian mechanics. So simple and yet sort of elegant, you know?" 

Radek smiled a little crookedly. "Yes," he said, without looking up from the book. "Almost beautiful." Rodney's shoulder remained where it was, lightly pressing against Radek's, and Radek's smile widened even as he reached out and turned the page. 

Perhaps coming to Rodney's house and meeting his family had not been quite so terrible. It had certainly been educational.


End file.
